Carding-machine.



sleonnomn.

CARDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, 1914.

1,165,088. Paton d Dec. 21, 1915.

\ B I I Jaime Gawain, =71:

20:9 mtowew 'nnmun coupon. m or UTICA, NEW vonx.

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To all whom it may concern Be it 'known'that I, BEIRNE GoRnoN, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carding-Machines. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a revolving flat card, the well knowntype of machine used for cleaning and carding cotton, cotton waste or other vegetable fiber, and forming it into sliver preparatory to spinning. The objects of the card are to clean the trash out from the cotton, to parallelize the fibers and to transform the lap into the sliver. I11 such machines as commonly constructed, the lap, or sheet of cotton fibers from the laproll, is fed by the feed-roll to the licker-in, which combs the fibers and carries them downwardly past the mote knives. The cylinder then takes the fibers from the licker-in and carries them forward and along under the flats to the point where they are deposited on the dofler. From this they are removed by the comb and carried forward by the calender rolls and formed into the sliver. The cleaning is mainly effected in two different manners and at two different places. First by the mote knives under the lickerin,'and secondarily by the flats, for the mote knives do not elfect suffieient cleaning.

My invention consists in providing supplementary mechanism in advance of the licker-in initially to clean, and then to agitate and rearrange the fiber, whereby a loose flufl'y lap is delivered to said licker-in permitting the latter more thoroughly to accomplish its work, so that a less amount of trash comes in contact with the wires of the cylinder and of the flats. In addition to such improvement in operation my invention results in other important advantages hereinafter to be enumerated. The new combination of parts by which I accomplish these results are substantially an advance licker-in, a rotating brush to remove the fibers from said licker-in and a suction mechanism to remove the fiber from the brush and to deliver the fibers in the form of the loose flufl'y lap under a roller to a secondary feed roll.

My invention, embodied in a desirable form, is fully shown in the accompanying drawing Whereinthe reference numerals of Specification o f iet tersraten t.

Mtented Dec. 21 1915.

application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,760.

this description are applied to like parts in all the views. v

Fig ure 1 of the drawing is a vertical, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a carding machine embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of my condenser drum arrangement with portions shown in section better to illustrate the construction. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional. view thereof with associated parts. Fig. -l is a. detail \"iOW showing a modification in the suction mechanism.

07 i mechanism-41m features of the carding machines as heretofore employed, and in connection with which I have illustrated my invention, consist of the usual lap-roll l which operates to deliver the lap onto the feed-plate 2 to pass beneath the feed-roll, 3. This feed roll is shown of fluted form and it is arranged to advance the lap into contact with the usual toothed licker-in 4 having the usual teeth (not shown) on its peripheral surface which comb the fibers and carry the cotton past the mote-knives 55. These knives remove a certain amount of short fibers and trash such as sand, leaves, seeds, etc. From the licker-in the cotton passes to the large cylinder 6 having suitable wires on its periphcry to strip the fibers from the licker-in and to coact with similar but reversely inclined wires on the transversely arranged flats, 8, connected to form an endless chain and supported upon a sprocket drum 9 and suitable idlers 10 10 by which the flats are operated at a lower speed than the cylinder. From the cylinder the cotton is delivered to the dofi'er 11. From this it is stripped by the usual oscillating comb 12 and drawn by the calender rolls 13-43 through the forming trumpet, whence it passes as the sliver 15 into the usual coiler 16. The licker-in,

cylinder and dofi'er are rotated in the direc-' tions as indicated by arrows at suitable speed and through the usual driving connections not necessary to be here shown.

New parts.My improved and supplemental mechanism consists in providing an additional licker-in and mote-knife arrangedelivered by a lap roll 21 over the feed plate 22 and by the feed roll 23 to the licker-in 24 provided with the usual teeth.

' This first, or advance, licker-in carries the lap downwardly to be acted upon by the mote-knives 25-25 in the usual manner for removing the trash. The rolls and licker-in are journaled and driven by suitable operating connections.

The manner of removing the cotton from the advance licker-in and delivering it to the second licker-in comprises an important feature of the present invention and is designed to loosen the trash from the cotton fibers as heretofore described. A desirable means is here employed which consists of a cylindrical brush 26 suitably journaled and rotated in the direction of the arrow to remove the cotton from the advance licker-in; the brush is rotated at a greater surface speed than the licker-in for that purpose. I have provided a cylindrical collecting screen or condensing cage, desirably a perforated metal cylinder 28, through which a current of air is drawn to withdraw the cotton lint from the surface of the brush and to deposit it on the surface of the screen. A desirable construction is shown, wherein a stationary slotted drum 29 is supported in the interior of the collecting screen 28 and provided with an elongated slot 30 directed toward the brush 26 and communicating with the opening of achute 31 supported suitably to inclose the brush for sucking the cotton lint therefrom. An air inlet 32 is provided above the brush as shown.- As illustrated in Fig. 3 the slotted drum 29 is open at one end to which a pipe 33 is fitted, leading to a suitable suction fan 35. v

The drum 29 is shown supported upon a stationary supporting rod 36 in the machine drum and frame or standard. A sleeve bearing 37 is provided thereon at one end and at the opposite end is aspider or spoke-bearing 38 providing the required air opening. The collecting screen is shown journaled at one end upon a marginal bearing portion 39 of the at its other end upon the sleeve bearing 37 for the latter purpose the screen is carried upon a flange of the journal member 40. Through the gear 41 on said member 40 the collecting screen is driven to advance the cotton to the lap roll 1. Driving connections may be made to the gear 40 from the operating gearing of the machine and also the fan may be driven in any approved manner. A roller 42 is shown arranged to bear upon the cotton as it is carried from the chute by the revolving screen.

Operation and advantagea-Jn the operationof the machine embodying my improved features the cotton is fed over the feed plate 22 to the advance licker-in which carries it downward past the mote knives; these remove a large proportion of trash and short fiber; the cotton is then removed by the brush. The cotton lint under the influence of the air current is precipitated into the chute and sucked onto the outer surface of the revolving collecting drum. In this oper-' ation the action of the brushand air tends to loosen the trash from the lint and the fibers are loosened and rearranged so that the cot-- ton delivered to the feed-roll 3 is in greatly improved condition for more successful further operation thereon Also the suction will remove considerable dust from the cotton, which passes off through the cage and the fan.

In'the operation of my machine although there is an extra percentage of trash removed by the. extra parts; there is areduced percentage of good cotton removed by the regui.

lar parts of the cardldue-to'a better preparation of the fibers. Actual practice has shown that, on high grade cotton, my card removes about the same percentage of waste as aregular card, and on very low grade cotton my card will remove considerably less waste than a regular card at the same time producing a cleaner and improved sliver. By reason of so improving the operation a lower grade of cotton may be used with a resulting product of a quality equal to that produced .from a better grade of cotton carded in the machines heretofore used. Similarly by using the same grade of cotton and running the machine more rapidly an increased output of equal quality may be produced, or at the same speed a better quality of sliver will result.

' By improving the production of my maquality of sliver from the same grade of" cotton, removing considerably less waste and with a reduction in labor and power charges. Also where combing is employed as a subsequent process, my machine efl'ects a saving in the comber, for actual practice has shown that, because my machine removes a greater percentage of the shorter fibers than the regular card does, the percentage of Waste removed by the comber is reduced automatically, that is, without disturbing any adjustment on the comber, and the resulting product is as good in every way. Moreover in the carding of low grade cotton and waste my improved machine obviates the necessity of employing a fancy for loosening the fibers in the wires of the cylinder, and eliminates the wires.

In addition to the described function of loosening the trash from the fiber with gentle handling as performed by my advance licker-in and condenser cage this arrangement readily provides for delivering the desired weight per yard of lap to the second licker-in. This result is obtained by regulating the speed of the condenser cage so as to gather and deliver to the second licker-in alap of the desired thickness and by ad ustment of the advance licker-in in accordance with the thickness of the lap fed thereto, cylinder, flats, dofi'er, coiler, etc.

Modificatz'om.While I have particularly described my invention in connection with a revolving card, I do not intend to limit the use of my invention thereto. I desire to claim my new combination of mechanisms in whatever relation and for whatever purpose they may be used. Apparently many widely different embodiments thereof could be made without departing from the scope thereof, for, while particularly adapted to use with any type of card, it is not my purpose to limit its use thereto, for it can be used for cleaning cotton and cotton waste independently of the card.

An example of constructional modification of one feature of my invention is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the condenser cage is composed of two revolving screens 28', adapted to collect the cotton from the chute 31 and advance it between them to the" pass between rollers 42 and thence to the second licker-in. Suitable connections are provided to a suction fan for creating an air current through the screens into both of the drums 29' in the manner well understood without illustration.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. A carding mechanism having associ- 'ated therewith a plurality of licker-in mechanisms arranged in series, and sucker-condenser means interposed between the lickerin mechanisms and operative to loosen the trash and rearrange the fiber preparatory to further cleaning under the action of the succeeding licker-in mechanism, substantially as described.

2. A carding machine having associated therewith a plurality of licker-ins arranged in series, a brush arranged to remove the cotton from the advance licker-in, a suction condenser arrangement having a collecting screen and a chute between the screen and the brush to remove the fiber from the brush to the screen whereby dust is removed from the fiber and the trash is loosened therefrom better to prepare the fiber for further clean in' in the succeeding licker-in substantially as escribed. 3. A carding machine having associated therewith a plurality of licker-ins arranged in series, a'cylindrical rotary brush arranged to remove fflie cotton from the advance licker-in, a suction condenser arrangement comprising a cylindrical, rotary collecting screen and a chute between the screen and the brush and a suction fan communicating with the interior of the collecting screen to create a suction thereto so as to attract the fiber from the brush onto the screen whereby dust is removed from the fiber and the trash is loosened better to prepare the fiber for further cleaning in the succeeding licker-in substantially as described.

4. A carding machine having associated therewith a plurality of licker-ins arranged in series, a cylindrical rotary brush arranged to remove the cotton from the advance licker-in, a suction condenser arrangement comprising a cylindrical rotary collecting screen of perforated material, stationary slotted drum within the screen and a chute between the brush and screen to conduct the cotton from the former to the latter and a suction fan communicating with the interior of the collecting screen to create a suction thereto, thereby to attract the fiber from the brush onto the screen whereby dust is removed from the fiber and the trash is loosened better to prepare the fiber for further cleaning in the succeeding licker-in.

5. A carding machine having associated therewith a plurality of licker-ins arranged in series, a cylindrical rotary brush arranged to remove the cotton from the advance licker-in. a suction condenser arrangement comprising a supporting member, a slotted drum supported thereon, acylindrical rotary collecting screen of perforated metal suitably journaled on the drum and a chute between the brush and the screen to conduct the cotton from the former to the latter, said drum having at least one end open, a suction fan connected to the open end of the drum to cause a suction through the chute,

screen and interior of the drum so as to attract the fiber from the brush onto the screen whereby dust is removed from the -fiber and the trash is loosened better to prepare it for further cleaning in the succeeding licker-in.

6. A carding machine having associated therewith a plurality of licker-ins arranged in series, feed rollers for the licker-ins and lap rolls for-advancing the cotton thereto,

a cylindrical rotary brush arranged to remove the cotton from the advance licker-in, a suction condenser arrangement comprlslng'a supporting member, a slotted drum supported thereon. a cylindrical rotary collecting screen of perforated metal suitably journaled on the drum and a chute between the brush and the screen to conduct the cotton from the former to the latter, said drum being open at one end, a suction fan connected with the open end of the drum to cause a suction through the chute, screen and interior of the drum so as to attract the fiber from the brush onto the screen whereby dust is removed from the fiber and the trash is loosened better to prepare it for further cleaning in the succeeding licker-in and a roller supported to bear upon the cotton as it passes from the condenser, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a carding machine of a plurality of lickers-in arranged in series. a rotary brush to remove the fiber from the preceding licker-in, and suctioncondenser means adjacent said brush to loosen the trash and rearrange the fiber preparatory to further cleaning by the succeeding licker-in, substantially as described and shown.

8. The combination with a carding machine, of a plurality of lickers-in arranged in series. a brush arranged to remove the fiber from the preceding licker-in, a suction-condenser arrangement comprising a collecting screen. a chute between the screen and the brush and a suction lan adjacent the screen to create a suction thereto, to draw the fiber from the brush onto the screen, whereby dust is removed from the fiber, and the trash is loosened better to prepare the fiber for further cleaning in the succeeding licker-in, the last licker-in being adapted to deliver directly to the carding cylinders, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BEIRNE GORDON, JP

Witnesses J. B. MILLWARD, M. L. BRESLIN. 

